కూర్మ జయంతి

అమరాసురకరవిపరి
భ్రమణ ధరాధరవరేంద్రభ్రమణంబునుదాఁ
గమఠేంద్రువీపు తీఁటను
శమియింపఁగఁజాలదయ్యె జగతీనాథా!

-- పోతన భాగవతం నుంచి మహా వైశాఖి,  కూర్మ జయంతి సందర్భంగా

amara, asura kara vipari
bhramaNa dharAdhara-varEMdra bhramaNambunu dA
kamaThEndru vIpu tITanu
SamiyiMpaga cAladayya jagatInAthA!

amara (divine) asura (daemonic) hands churning using the mandhara mountain having supported by the 'back' of great kUrma Tortoise (kamaTham) was not even able to  alleviate the itch of the back of the Lord.

Essential meaning: The great task of churning the milky ocean (milky-way) to produce wealth by divine and daemonic forces using the biggest mountain as  churning rod, longest serpent as the churning rope, with LORD in the form of tortoise as basis to support their effort and make it fruitful, which produced all acceptable wealth (Goddess Lakshmi), health (Lord Dhanvantari), kAmadhEnu, kalpa vRksha etc., etc., was not even capable of scratching HIS back.

Even the greatest effort known to us is so insignificant and useless when comes in comparison with the Lord!

-- Today is mahA vaiSAkhi, kUrma jayanti